In August, the New Orleans schools received a historic $1.8 billion FEMA settlement to build or completely renovate as many as 85 campuses. But in the radically restructured post-Katrina educational landscape, matching a school program to a revamped building is more difficult than in most cities.

Since Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters devastated large swaths of New Orleans, many students have been learning in temporary facilities. Existing schools were displaced, and new charter schools without prior ties to a physical location were founded by the dozens. Neighborhood attendance zones were abolished, with most schools open to any student in the city.

Nearly three-quarters of the city's public schools are now charters, largely autonomous but often dependent on the RSD or the Orleans Parish School Board for facilities.

Under pressure to solidify the permanent building assignments, the RSD released a draft plan in August that was criticized ads unclear and giving some schools short shrift. The criteria included whether the school is currently in modular classrooms, where its students live, the school's own preference and "community input."

A revised plan released by the RSD last month contains few major changes. It rectifies some problems in the earlier draft and still includes a degree of uncertainty.